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Edna Ferber(1885-1968)

  • Writer
  • Additional Crew
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ferber initially studied acting. She then worked as a reporter in Milwaukee and Chicago. Travels through America and Europe followed. Ferber became the author of interesting novels with a cultural-historical background. She often designed the plot in such a way that a female figure was in the foreground. In her works she depicts changing environments and American life in a realistic style. Her books often reveal a socially critical attitude. She expanded her narrative approach to create broad family and homeland novels that she linked to the history of the USA or the respective regions. It features the lower Mississippi region in the early 19th century, the time of the fur trade in Seattle, the run on oil in Oklahoma and the settlement of Texas.

She also wrote social comedies as stage plays, which were successful, as well as short stories, dramas and her autobiography. Some of her novels have been made into films. The most famous example is probably "Giant", the film of the same name, in German: "Giganten". It was made into a film in 1956 by director George Stevens with stars such as James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Dennis Hopper and Rock Hudson. The film became a box office hit worldwide. Edna Ferber also provided the book for the musical "Show Boat" (premiered in 1927). It is about a critical attitude towards segregation and prejudices against blacks. This adaptation brought this socially critical, previously taboo topic to the musical stage for the first time. "Cimarron", a film title from 1960, is also based on the book title of the same name by Edna Ferber.

Her works include "Dawn O'Hara" (1911, German 1916), "Buttered Side Down" (1912), "Fanny Herself" (1917, German 1930: "This is Fanny"), "Half Portions " (1920), "The Girls" (1921, German 1928), "So Big" (1924, German 1927, "A Woman Alone" from 1962), "Show Boat" (1926, German 1929: "That Comedian Ship"), "Mother Knows Best" (1927), "The Royal Family" (1928, German 1931). This was followed by "American Beauty" (1931, German 1957: "The House of the Fathers"), "Dinner at Eight" (1932), "They Brought Their Women" (1933), "Come and Get it" (1935), "Stage Door" (1936), "A Peculiar Treasure" (191939), "Saratoga Drunk" (1941, German 1947), "The Land is Bright" (1941), "Great Son" (1945, German 1950) , "Bravo" (1948), "Ice Palace" (1958) and "Kind of Magic" (1963).
BornAugust 15, 1885
DiedApril 16, 1968(82)
BornAugust 15, 1885
DiedApril 16, 1968(82)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
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Known for

James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson in Giant (1956)
Giant
7.6
  • Writer
  • 1956
Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, and Gail Patrick in Stage Door (1937)
Stage Door
7.7
  • Writer
  • 1937
Laura La Plante and Joseph Schildkraut in Show Boat (1929)
Show Boat
6.2
  • Writer
  • 1929
Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Helen Morgan, and Charles Winninger in Show Boat (1936)
Show Boat
7.4
  • Writer
  • 1936

Credits

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IMDbPro

Writer



  • Radio Play Revival (2021)
    Radio Play Revival
    7.9
    Podcast Series
    • Writer
    • 2024
  • Kern: Show Boat (2015)
    Kern: Show Boat
    7.7
    Video
    • based on the novel by
    • 2015
  • Joshua Bell, Hugh Downs, Renée Fleming, Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Natalia Makarova, Audra McDonald, Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman, Louis Perry, Beverly Sills, Martin Bookspan, and Fred Child in Live from Lincoln Center (1976)
    Live from Lincoln Center
    8.5
    TV Series
    • based on the novel by
    • 1990
  • Lauren Bacall, Charles Durning, John Mahoney, Harry Hamlin, Ellen Greene, and Marsha Mason in Dinner at Eight (1989)
    Dinner at Eight
    5.1
    TV Movie
    • play (as E. Ferber)
    • 1989
  • Great Performances (1971)
    Great Performances
    7.9
    TV Series
    • novel
    • 1989
  • Rosemary Harris, Eva Le Gallienne, Sam Levene, and Ellis Rabb in The Royal Family (1977)
    The Royal Family
    7.4
    TV Movie
    • play
    • 1977
  • Glenn Ford and Maria Schell in Cimarron (1960)
    Cimarron
    6.4
    • novel
    • 1960
  • Richard Burton, Jim Backus, Ray Danton, Martha Hyer, Carolyn Jones, Diane McBain, and Robert Ryan in Ice Palace (1960)
    Ice Palace
    6.1
    • novel
    • 1960
  • BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950)
    BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
    7.1
    TV Series
    • play
    • 1951–1958
  • James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson in Giant (1956)
    Giant
    7.6
    • from the novel by
    • 1956
  • Front Row Center (1955)
    Front Row Center
    7.3
    TV Series
    • play
    • 1955
  • The Best of Broadway (1954)
    The Best of Broadway
    7.1
    TV Series
    • play
    • 1954–1955
  • So Big (1953)
    So Big
    6.7
    • novel
    • 1953
  • Theatre Royal
    TV Movie
    • play "The Royal Family"
    • 1952
  • Ava Gardner, Kathryn Grayson, and Howard Keel in Show Boat (1951)
    Show Boat
    6.8
    • from novel
    • 1951

Additional Crew



  • Frances Farmer, Edward Arnold, and Joel McCrea in Come and Get It (1936)
    Come and Get It
    6.8
    • consultant (uncredited)
    • 1936

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • E. Ferber
  • Born
    • August 15, 1885
    • Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
  • Died
    • April 16, 1968
    • New York City, New York, USA(stomach cancer)
  • Other works
    Stage: Wrote source material (novel) for "Show Boat", produced on Broadway. Musical drama (revival). Music by Jerome Kern. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Lyrics for "Bill" by P.G. Wodehouse. Music / lyrics for "Goodbye, My Lady Love" by Joseph E. Howard. Music / lyrics for "After the Ball" by Charles Harris. Book adapted by Oscar Hammerstein II (also director). Musical Directors: Oscar Bradley and Sammy Lee. Casino Theatre: 19 May 1932-22 Oct 1932 (180 performances). Cast: Bessie Allison, Bertha Fitzhugh Baker, Rachel Beech, J. Mardo Brown, A. Alan Campbell (as "Windy"), Billie Campbell, Mamie Cartier, Willy Lou Chalfant, Laura Clairon, Catherine Clark, Walter Costello, Jack Daley, Charles Davis, Henry Davis, Dorothy Denese, Leon Diggs, Evelynne Eaton, William Ehlers, Charles Ellis, Caja Eric, Robert Faricy, Estelle Floyd (as "Ethel"), Dell Fradenburg, John Fredrik, Tess Gardella, Ray Giles, Blanche Glenn, Thomas Gunn, Marion Hairston, Edgar Hall, Annie Hart, William Haskins, Mae Haygood, Mari Hellgren, Eunice Holmes, Maurine Holmes, Rhogenia Jamison, J. Louis Johnson, Charlotte Junius, Tana Kamp, V. Anne Kaye, Dennis King (as "Gaylord Ravenal"), Angeline Lawson, James Lillard, Henrietta Lovelace, Herbert Lyle, Francis X. Mahoney (as "Rubberface Smith") Pat Mann, Rose Mariella, Richard McAllister, Dolly McCormick, James McKay, John Mobley, Helen Morgan (as "Julie"), Ethel Moses, Lucia Lynn Moses, Edna May Oliver (as Parthy Ann Hawks), Joseph Olney, Ann Lee Patterson, Pauline Pennell, Inez Persand, Lancelot Pinard, Eva Puck (as "Ellie"), Hattie King Reavis, Wilburn Riviere, Paul Robeson (as "Joe"), Elsie Rossi, Jennie Salmons, Earle Sanborn, Mildred Schwenke, Phil Sheridan, Maude Simmons, Charles Spencer, James Swift, Wen. Talbert, Lucille Taylor, Norma Terris (as "Magnolia"), Wynn Terry, Tillie Thomas, Archie Thomson, Lee Timmans, Gladstone Waldrip, Gertrude Walker [final Broadway role], Billie Wallace, Elida Webb, Sammy White (as "Frank Schultz"), Charles Willis, Charles Winninger (as "Capt. Andy"). Produced by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. NOTES: (1) Ziegfeld died during production on 22 Jul 1932 at age 65. (2) Filmed as Show Boat (1929), Show Boat (1936), Show Boat (1951). (3) The 1936 film, while successful, suffered production delays and cost overruns that ultimately led to the downfall of Carl Laemmle at Universal Pictures.
  • Publicity listings
    • 4 Print Biographies
    • 2 Portrayals
    • 4 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    The character of Jett Rink in her novel "Giant" was loosely based upon the life of Texas oilman Glenn McCarthy. McCarthy built the Shamrock Hotel at a cost of $21 million. It opened on St. Patrick's Day 1949 with a grand-opening party costing over $1 million. Ferber was one of the guests who stayed in the hotel, and after meeting with him, she decided to write a novel based upon his life. McCarthy sold the hotel to the Hilton family in 1955.
  • Quotes
    It's terrible to realize you don't learn how to live until you're ready to die and, then it's too late.

FAQ

Powered by Alexa
  • When did Edna Ferber die?
    April 16, 1968
  • How did Edna Ferber die?
    Stomach cancer
  • How old was Edna Ferber when she died?
    82 years old
  • Where did Edna Ferber die?
    New York City, New York, USA
  • When was Edna Ferber born?
    August 15, 1885

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